Anything to get them back
by Lohis
Summary: Slight AU, takes place around ep.11. Maniwa Houou gets wounded in the battle with Souda Emonzaemon. A young woman finds him and, with no apparent reason, saves him and it's up to the Bird Squad leader to decide the rest. Slight OCxMH pairing. One-shot.


_**Hey, this is my first Katanagatari fanfic! I loved the anime, but finding no fanfic of the Maniwani disappointed me so I thought of writing one of them. I'm thinking of cooking up more. For vocabulary, check Author's Note in the end. I hope you like the story! Enjoy!**__**  
**__**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except my OC**__**  
**__**Rating: T**__**  
**__**AN: Takes place around ep. 11**_

* * *

It had been a clear night, the stars had shone brightly and the full moon had illuminated everything in its pale light, expanding the small shadow stripes to a multitude of shapes and forms. The forest trees had grown, reaching with their dark branches towards the sky, as if to scrape it, and the blades of grass had whispered secrets to one another, passing along the result of the fight between the two warring ninjas on the meadow.

There had been no other to witness it.

Maniwa Pengin, who had accompanied the leader of the Maniwa Corps, Maniwa Houou, on the journey to get another one of the 12 Deviant Blades, had been pushed, along with the Dokutou Mekki, behind a nearby rock formation. Though the small ninja had not been happy with it.

"Your ninpou doesn't work here, and if he is who I think he is, you would be no match for him," the leader of the Bird Squad had said before darting after the tall red-haired man.

"H-Houou-sama!" The youngling had called, slightly stuttering, as he had peeked behind the boulder, but the Phoenix-ninja had already vanished.

It had been a wise move from the Maniwa Ninja Corps head, as the battleground had been a pitiful sight.

* * *

The Bird Squad leader woke up to a stinging ache in his chest, right under his left collarbone. He shifted his arm, the one he had taken from Maniwa Kawauso and integrated as his own, and the pain alleviated, leaving only a dull feeling behind.

He held back a groan and tried to regain his bearings. He could feel a cool breeze on his face -a remnant of the past winter-, hear rushing water and smell burning wood -pine most likely.

'_Perhaps a fire is going somewhere near,'_ the Maniwa leader thought, as he could almost touch the warm air pulsing from the direction of the flames. _'How long have I been unconscious? Didn't Emonzaemon finish me off? Am I dead?'_

Houou shifted again trying to get the feeling back to his limbs. The numbness that answered him shocked the experienced ninja. He was still alive. It wasn't the question how, but _why _that circled around in his head.

"Please don't fidget, you will reopen the wound."

The man snapped his head towards the voice. His gaze was met with a shadowy silhouette of a lady sitting by the fire, poking the logs absentmindedly, a waning crescent slightly peeking over the horizon behind her. The lady looked back at the man from the corner of her eye, the brown orbs gleaming and the fire emphasizing their sternness.

The ninja kept his composure, knowing he was looking at his rescuer. The Maniwa Corps head, eyes still fixed on the unknown woman, rose up shakily and sat cross-legged on the blanket he had been lying on. The woman didn't react; her eyes just followed his movements.

Houou's right hand found its way up to the bound wound and unknowingly rubbed it as he spoke: "Thank you for aiding me." The Phoenix-ninja bowed a little, wincing as pain erupted from the wound.

"I told you not to move," the lady said, placing her hand on top of the orange clawed one.

'_How did she get here so fast?'_ The Maniwa leader thought, watching cautiously as she moved his hand away and examined the wound.

"Hnh, it's okay for now. I'll clean it again in the morning. You should stop moving and let your body rest. That thing made quite a mess."

"Thing…? Ah, the bullet. I thought I dodged it," Houou said recalling the fight.

The lady didn't look at him; she barely stood up and returned to her spot by the fire. "Are you warm enough?" She asked picking up a branch and feeding it to the fire.

"Hai, but that amount of wood won't last through the night."

"Oh."

That seemed to get the woman's attention.

"I should've guessed. I'm not a traveler after all." Her lips curved up slightly, eyes twinkling with amusement.

The Phoenix-ninja tilted his head slightly, hands resting on his lap. "Neither am I."

The fire crackled. The brown eyed woman let her posture slump a little, shoulders falling as if she had suppressed her breath for a while. Looking back at the red and white clothed ninja, she straightened her body and turned to face the man.

"If it is not too much trouble, Otoko-san, would you mind telling me your name?"

The Bird Squad leader didn't hesitate. "My name is Maniwa Houou, I'm one of the 12 heads of the Maniwa Ninja Corps."

"A ninja, you say? My my… Then, I must be in trouble?"

Houou chuckled to this. "Why would you be, Josei-san? Have you done something to anger the Maniwa Clan?"

"Nothing of the sort, but I believe I did intervene with the result of your duel, Shinobi-san."

"I cannot recall seeing you on the meadow, Josei-san, so I have no reason to think you would've dishonored me by saving me. May I hear your name in return?"

"Hai, I'm Hebi Yasura of the Takamori Village. It is my first time meeting a shinobi, moreover rescuing one."

"And clearly your first time camping out. The fire's dying."

The lady looked back at the pile of charcoaled wood and its flickering sparks. "Oh, yare yare…" She mumbled and rose to her feet. The night air played with her long, black hair.

"Please wait here; I'll go find some more wood." Yasura bowed to the Phoenix-ninja before turning and entering the woods nearby, staying in the light of the crescent moon. The Maniwa Corps head could hear twigs snapping and the ruffle of fallen leaves. A gentle laughter escaped his throat.

How long had it been since he had last seen a lady flitting helplessly in the woods, he couldn't remember -though this Josei-san reminded him of that Strategian-dono he had met in Satsuma. Houou chuckled again before his rational side kicked in and he began examining his surroundings in more detail.

He had been right. There was a river running next to their campsite, boulders sticking up from it, clutching onto anything that fell into the water upriver.

"That's where I pulled you out. Right by those rocks near the rapids."

The man nodded in acknowledgement.

"It was nearing dusk when I saw you. To be honest, I first thought you were dead, with all the blood pouring out from your body and coloring the river red. But, alas, I grabbed your cloak and pulled you on the dry land, and then you started spurting out water. And that was all the confirmation I needed to start tending you." She put down the armful of twigs and branches and placed some dry leaves on the smoldering fire.

With a few gentle blows the flames licked up from the charcoal and began burning clearly again. Yasura put a few pieces of wood on the campfire and eased down on her previous place.

"You said 'nearing dusk', how long have I…?"

"Slept? Not long, the sun had fully set a few moments before you woke up."

'_So I was in the river for almost a day… I must be far away from the meadow. Far from Emonzaemon and Pengin,' _the ninja thought eyeing the calm water.

"I must say you were lucky, Maniwa-san. That river may look peaceful now, its surface glistering quietly, but during the day, when the sun melts the snow upriver, it's a wild boar gone berserk."

The Bird Squad leader snapped out of his thoughts. Mentally face palming for slipping out of focus he cleared his throat.

"Hebi-san," he began, "again, thank you for saving me. You are quite well aware of my situation, but may I ask of yours? It is rare to see a lady wearing an expensive kimono poking a fire with an unknown man lying next to her in the middle of the night far away from any villages."

The red-and-green clothed woman smiled and nodded slightly embarrassed. She ran her palms down her clothes straightening them along the way. "That is true… Though my story is not as colorful as yours, Maniwa-san."

"I was taking a walk in the woods near my house, having been away from home awhile, when a menacing cackle echoed around in the forest. Of course I had heard of all the stories about youkais and such, but never really paid any attention to them," Yasura paused, her lips quivering slightly.

"Though I should've now…" She breathed more to herself than to the ninja accompanying her.

"Anyway, I turned around to face the source of this laughter and found myself pushed against a tree trunk. Whoever attacked me most likely knocked me unconscious and the next thing I remember was waking up near here. Shortly afterwards I found you."

The Maniwa Ninja Corps head looked at the woman before him. "So you believe it was a spirit that attacked you?"

"No, nothing of the sort. I think it was a bandit. The forests surrounding Takamori are popular hideouts for bandits and other dishonored people. Perhaps he or they thought that I was of noble family, and that they could get a ransom from my parents. But when they realized their mistake they discarded me."

The fire crackled as a flame broke a twig in half. It sent sparks flying and Houou followed them with his gaze.

"In my opinion wealth doesn't make one noble."

The black-haired woman let out a gentle laughter and shook her head eyes twinkling with joy: "You truly are something, Shinobi-san. But," her face dimmed, "that is not the way of the world. If it was, there wouldn't be samurais or princesses or shoguns, in fact, there wouldn't be anything. Not even ninjas."

"True, ninjas work for those with money to spend and enemies to assassinate, I would be useless in a world like that."

"I believe there wouldn't be anyone living in a world like that, not even the gods –excluding Shinigami."

Houou shrugged. "Why would the kami of death be alive when there is no one to worship him, no one to live and die, no one to judge upon –not that I believe in kamis, I have managed just fine without."

Yasura tilted her head, her silky hair slipping from her shoulder. She lifted her hand and absentmindedly stroked her lips. Her brown eyes had a distant look in them and for a while the Phoenix-ninja wondered if the lady had forgotten she had company. The wavelets of the river were the only clear sound in the night.

"Maniwa-san, may I ask you something?" The woman asked suddenly, fixing her gaze on the man.

The Maniwa Ninja Corps head nodded, urging her to speak her mind.

"What is it with people and death? Why do humans fear it so much?"

The ninja visibly flinched. He hadn't expected that. Houou lowered his head, hands resting firmly on his knees. An occasional gust of wind shuffled his clothes. "I cannot say for certain, Hebi-san, but when it comes to shinobis, we merely live and die."

"Oh," she breathed, gaze dropping and hand returning to her lap, other one poking the fire logs.

The two sat in silence again, both lost in their own thoughts. Houou lifted his hand to his wound and rubbed it again –the pain had returned. He straightened as, out of the blue, a thought popped into his mind.

"May I see them?" He asked.

"Sorry?"

"May I see the bruises that this attacker caused?"

"Uh, I don't think he left any…" Yasura hurried to say.

The ninja tilted his head, looking at the black-haired lady doubtfully. Yasura tried to avoid his gaze, hands wrapping around her shoulders and her cheeks getting warmer. She started to feel slightly uncomfortable under his long stare. She sifted her weight around and decided to change the subject.

"Won't the other 11 heads come looking for you?"

"No, the last one, Maniwa Pengin, has a task to complete. He will not be looking for me."

"Then shouldn't you go and find him?"

"Perhaps, but I believe you told me not to move."

The woman looked puzzled at first, but then a chuckle escaped her lips, her eyes curving a bit. Houou let a small smile creep up to the corners of his mouth. This woman truly was like the Strategian-dono in so many ways, but still so different, though he really couldn't put his finger on it.

"My apologies for asking such an intimate question, Hebi-san. I should've thought my words beforehand," the Phoenix-ninja said bowing his head once more, wincing as the wound reminded of its existence.

"It is fine, Shinobi-san, perhaps we both were in the wrong… Saying that, I believe sleep would do us both good," the lady answered smiling at the man.

The Bird Squad leader agreed and shifted on the blanket. He patted the place next to him, inviting Yasura to join him. The woman's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red and she hastily turned her head away.

"N-No, I'm fine…" She mumbled busying herself with ripping up a few weeds and tossing them into the fire.

She didn't notice Houou standing up and walking to her. He placed the blanket on her shoulders and sat cross-legged next to her. Yasura glanced at him and opened her mouth to object when the ninja spoke: "Take it, spring may be coming, but the nights are still those of winter."

The woman closed her mouth and nodded.

Upon closer examination the Phoenix-ninja was able to see the clear embarrassment on the lady's face. He chuckled to himself and stretched. The wound was still there, throbbing and stinging but the ninja had decided not to mind it, after all, he had been through worse.

His eyes had already started to close on their own accord when he felt a hand wrap around him and something lean against his side. Houou's muscles tensed and his eyes shot open. Yasura looked at him with a gentle smile, all puzzlement gone from her face, replaced with a conniving glint in her eyes.

"You said it yourself, Maniwa-san, the nights are still those of winter. Perhaps this way we can survive through it, so we do not have to face what humans fear most."

She lowered the other side of the blanket on Houou's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her chest, leaning against the tall man, closing her eyes.

The ninja nodded and relaxed his body. With an exhale he closed his eyes. He could feel the woman shifting around a bit more until finding a suitable spot to drift to sleep, her head on his shoulder, legs pulled closer to his.

Gently circling his hand around her waist, the Maniwa Ninja Corps head fell to his own silent, dreamless slumber.

* * *

Houou shifted. His legs were feeling numb and his head heavy. This time he let out a long, low groan and yawned. Opening his eyes the ninja had to blink a few times. The sun was already high and its rays were playing on the river's surface, reflecting and shining straight to his eyes. The Phoenix-ninja flexed his arms dropping the blanket off of his shoulders.

"Hebi-san?" He called out, realizing the woman missing.

"Here, Shinobi-san," a voice answered from behind the Maniwa Ninja Corps leader. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "Good morning, Hebi-san. Did you sleep well?"

"Hai, the night wasn't so cold after all. I would have been fine without you next to me."

Houou laughed. His right hand rose to the peak-like cap and tilted it up a bit.

"W-what is it, Maniwa-san?" Yasura asked baffled, kneeling down beside the man and picking up the blanket.

"Oh, just the irony of your comment. Shortly after you had fallen asleep the fire was going out due to wet branches. I didn't dare to wake you so I just tossed a few logs in and as I moved your hands wrapped around me, as if stopping me from leaving. You were quite persistent in keeping me close to you."

The ninja grinned at the woman's reaction. Her lips were parted, eyes wide with disbelief and fingers twirling with a loose brand of her black hair.

"Oh, well… You see… Um… Gomenasai," she said, bowing.

"Ah, it's okay. It has been a while since a lady has clung onto me, it was a nice reminder. Speaking of reminders I didn't mean to, but your kimono had fallen a bit off your shoulder and from the position I was sitting the bruise was quite clear."

Yasura's hands shot to her shoulders, embarrassment once more taking over. "Shinobi-san," she said sternly, "you should know better than to go looking inside a lady's clothes!"

The Phoenix-ninja nodded, fits of laughter escaping his lips as he spoke:

"Sumimasen, but I needed to be sure. I could counterattack you by saying that you had already seen me without my clothes, I was just leveling the equation."

The woman bridled and busied herself with folding the blanket. "Those two events are hardly compatible. I was tending to your wound, not admiring the sight of your upper body."

"So you claim."

Yasura rested the folded cloth on her lap, looking at the red and white clothed man beside her. She sighed and brushed an escaped lock of hair behind her ear. The ninja looked back at her, a small smile playing in the corners of his mouth.

"Do you always go to extremes like this?" The lady asked resting her chin against her hand.

Maniwa Houou's face grew firm. He straightened his back and turned to face the river. To Yasura he seemed to ponder her question deeply and the woman was ready to tell him to forget it when the man opened his mouth:

"I have heard that one before, from another woman. You remind me of her, of course I have met her only once but I have taken many jobs from her, so in a way you could say I have a good basis to build my comparison. She didn't say directly that I exaggerate things –though I did cut my left arm to have her listen to my suggestion. So I believe the answer to your question is yes."

The Maniwa Ninja Corps head looked back at the young woman next to him. She returned his gaze, her eyes reflecting the morning sun's rays.

"Arigato," she finally said, bowing deeply, "for telling me this. I shall not be embarrassed by your words again, and for comparing me with another woman, no one has ever done that before. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, but now _you_ puzzle _me_. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't men often compare women to one another?"

"You act on the assumption that I have had husband candidates. I see… I'm of that age, I guess, but where I have lived these past years, no one has come to ask my hand. Funny, I have no idea why I'm telling this to you."

"Me neither. Perhaps it has something to do with me looking under your kimono?"

Yasura chuckled. "I won't fall for that twice. Speaking of looking under one's clothes, I should check that wound of yours. May I?"

"Of course."

The woman shifted and moved the cloth away from the bound wound. She slowly unwrapped the bindings and gently examined the bloody rip. The man remained still, his hands resting casually on his lap, his gaze on the woman.

"Interesting… It is healing quite well, and fast," Yasura said standing up, "but I should clean it anyway." She made her way to the river and ripping a piece of her reddish-green kimono she dipped it into the water. Twisting the extra water out, she returned to the Maniwa ninja.

"I could've given you a piece of my own cloth…" Houou said watching as the lady swiped the wound, pressing ever so lightly.

"It is fine, Maniwa-san, this wasn't one of my favorites anyway."

The rippling of the river filled the air. Every now and then a cool breeze swept over the small clearing, sending fallen leaves that had survived the winter whirling around. A woodpecker began knocking.

"Could you lift your hand? I'll rebind the wound."

The Bird Squad leader obliged.

Yasura finished the task quickly and moved away from the man.

"Arigato."

"It was nothing."

A twig snapped in the forest behind them. In a second Houou was up on his feet with two kunais perched between his fingers, all focus on the woods. Yasura tensed and unconsciously brought a hand to her chest.

"Maniwa-san… Is there…?"

"Sh."

Another twig snapped accompanied with a ruffle of bushes and dispersed footsteps. The Phoenix-ninja took a stance eyes fixed on the darkness behind the trees. The woodpecker had stopped its task. The sounds grew louder and the pace of the steps evened out.

"Oi, what have we here?" A smug male voice said from the woods.

Yasura bit her lip.

"Show yourself," Houou demanded, stepping completely between Yasura and the forest, hiding the lady behind him.

A chuckle rang out.

"Well well… You should be saying 'show yourselves'. Well, who cares," a man, muscular and tall, and the owner of the smug voice, said stepping into the clearing. Right behind him two slightly thinner ones emerged from the shade of the trees. The three men were all holding katanas in their hands and snooty grins on their faces.

"What's with the getup?" One of the thinner men snickered. The other one joined in on the joke: "He looks like a chicken!"

The Maniwa ninja sneered and shook his head.

"You are not worth my energy. Leave."

"You're pretty sure of yourself, birdie. I think that plumage of yours would make a pretty nifty cushion, sure it would sell for a good price, too," the tallest of the three chuckled and unsheathed his katana, its blade shining bright in the sunlight. "Give it up."

"No."

The man roared and shot towards the Phoenix-ninja swinging the katana in a large curve. It met Houou's kunai with a clang.

"It is rude to attack someone without first introducing oneself. I can start. My name is Maniwa Houou, I'm one of the 12 Maniwa Ninja Corps heads," Houou stated keeping the katana away from his face.

"A ninja?"

"Hai."

"My name is -"

The man's sentence ended with a gurgle. He choked up blood and fell backwards onto the ground, sending some dust swirling around his dead body.

"K-Kai-sama..?!" The other men stuttered together, looking at the body of their former leader. "Y-you…"

"Hai."

The Maniwa ninja dashed at the two bandits, his kunais gleaming. The battle was over before it truly began.

Yasura blinked. Just a minute ago there had been three armed men and now only a pile of bodies remained. She rose up hand still close to her chest, eyes on the tallest of the dead men.

"You alright?" The red and white clothed man asked turning around and walking to the woman.

She nodded slowly, her gaze moving from one body to the next until returning back to the first one and starting over.

"Don't look, if it makes you feel bad."

"Oh, I don't mind. I have seen bodies before and in worse conditions. You made clean kills, it's okay."

Houou tilted his head. "You have a strong mind, Hebi-san, and a strong stomach."

The woman tore her eyes from the bodies and looked at the ninja.

"I see… Well, ever since the rebellion 20 years ago, death has been an everyday part of my life."

The Maniwa Ninja Corps head examined the look on the woman's face. It was a mixture of coldness, yet empathy, bafflement with comparison and pain with no cure.

"Shinobi-san…" Yasura started, clearing her throat slightly. "Are _you_ alright?"

The man didn't answer.

"Maniwa-san."

"…Hai. I'm fine."

The lady sighed and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, lowering her gaze to the pile of burnt wood. The woodpecker had resumed its steady beating rhythm. The two stood silently there, on the clearing, engulfed in their own thoughts.

"Yasura-san," Houou began, lifting his gaze, "I should be heading back to Iga, to meet up with Pengin, if he is still alive."

"That sounds wise, Shinobi-san, I wish you luck and quick healings."

Houou looked at her surprised.

"You will just… let me leave?"

"Hai, I have nothing to hold you here. Please, feel free," the lady said with a smile and bowed gently, extending her hand towards the road on the other side of the clearing, "And you already saved me from the bandits."

The Phoenix-ninja tilted his head. It was true that he was no keen follower of honor codes and such, but he did feel a kind of _obligation_ to at least ensure the woman's safe return home; the three bandits had just been a proof of the area's hostility. Though the woman was… different.

"Last night spoke otherwise," the ninja shot smirking, before stating firmly, "but I believe the town of Takamori isn't far from here. I'll walk you there, as a way of thanking you for your assistance and good will."

"But, you do not owe me, Maniwa-san, and Takamori is in the opposite direction. I couldn't ask you to travel so much for me."

"I do not mind. Long distance or short, it's the same for me, but for now, please accept my company as a token of gratitude."

"Very well, but I am not heading to Takamori. It's true I was there before but I think that my current house has already heard of the… incident, so I should return home swiftly," Yasura answered.

"Oh? So which way?" The Phoenix-ninja asked placing his hands on his hip.

"My home is halfway up the mountains surrounding the Ueno basin, looking from this direction. So, in a way, were neighbors." A smile tugged at the lady's lips.

Houou straightened and let his arms fell to his sides. "Then let us be off, the journey is not too great in length but neither is the light of day."

Yasura nodded. She dusted off her reddish-green kimono and started towards the road, the Maniwa ninja walking by her side, hands casually behind his back, the three dead men growing smaller and smaller behind them.

The way was clear before them. The Bird Squad leader hadn't been quite sure where the campsite had been located but now every piece was falling into their places. Ueno region wasn't far, as Takamori was a border town, and the bandits hadn't traveled for long with the unconscious Yasura before getting rid of her.

"Maniwa-san, may I call you Houou? For you already call me by my first name," the woman asked after a moment of walking.

"Hai."

"Houou-san, why did you save me? I mean you could've just vanished when the men came."

"True," the ninja started, looking at the leafless trees by the road -baffled by it-, before continuing, "but I acted on instinct."

Yasura glanced at him over her shoulder. _'Instinct?' _"What do you mean? As in fight or flee?"

"No, more in protect or escape with you."

"Really? And I thought ninjas were emotionless, only capable of killing and dying," the woman said with a hint of humor in her voice.

The Maniwa ninja chuckled. "Apparently you know as much of shinobis as you do of camping. Two of the 12 Maniwa Ninja Corps heads, both deceased now, were head over heels for each other, and if death hadn't taken them, a priest would be busy somewhere."

"That is sad -and good to hear, for if that hadn't been the case, I think I'd be running as fast as my legs would take me. No offence meant, it is… nice that someone thinks of me that way."

"What way?" Houou asked stopping.

"Uh… I do believe you know, Shinobi-san," Yasura mumbled turning her head away, blushing.

"Hai, but is your house on the left upper ridge or the lower ridge? It is easier to choose the path now, than to skip between the ledges," the ninja said pointing at the two separating roads ahead.

"Oh, yare yare…!"

The Phoenix-ninja grinned and let out a laughter. He tilted his peak-like cap and eyed the woman curiously. "Didn't you say you wouldn't get embarrassed with and around me anymore?"

Yasura scoffed lightly. "Well, yes, but I had yet failed to see you as the charmer you are. You truly don't act nicely towards women."

"Hai, because I don't have the need to."

"Need? As in you don't care for the ways of the heart?"

Houou brought a finger to his cheek, and scratching it absentmindedly answered: "Difficult to say, I had a friend I cared for but he died a long time ago, after that there truly hasn't been anyone I would have considered worth of my time."

"Worth of your heart, you mean. I understand. Sorry for bringing the topic up."

"Yasura-san, may I give you a hint?"

"Of course, a piece of a ninja's mind is always bound to be useful."

"Get a grip."

The blacked haired woman stared at the red and white clothed man over her shoulder, stunned. _'What?'_

Yasura turned on her heels to fully face the Maniwa Ninja Corps head, her silky hair shining in the sunlight, a bit of dust rising off the road, coloring the hem of her reddish-green kimono. Her brown eyes had a stern look on them and her hands rested strongly on her hips.

"Houou-san, exactly _what_ are you implying?"

"Implying? No, stating would be a better word. Yasura-san, you are too soft, you shouldn't go apologizing for everything you say or do."

The woman blinked. _'Just who is this man? Who does he think he is?'_

"If you say so," she breathed taking a step closer to the ninja.

The man didn't move, but merely followed her with his eyes, a smirk on his face, hands folded over his chest.

Yasura scoffed mentally. The man was more than sure of himself. She rested her hands on his chest, leaning closer to him a bit. Houou answered by tilting his head slightly to the side, smirk never leaving his lips.

'_Take that!'_ Yasura thought and brought her heel on the tip of his feet with all her strength.

"S-shit!" The leader of the Bird Squad cursed through his teeth, falling to his knees and grabbing his toes trying to soothe the pain.

A hearty giggling filled his ears. He glanced up at the lady before him to see her laughing uncontrollably, both hands on her stomach, tears glistering in her eyes.

The Maniwa Ninja Corps head rose back to his feet and straightened his cap. "That was cheap, Yasura-san, but…" he started before a laugh escaped his lips, "I believe I deserved it."

"You truly did, Shinobi-san. Perhaps next time you'll remember to be nicer to women, eh?"

"Maybe."

Yasura wiped the tears off of her cheeks and returned and escaped lock of hair back behind her ear. Winking at the red and white clothed man, she turned around and resumed walking, heading to the upper ridge.

Houou, with a few long strides, was quickly next to her not minding the bruise-to-be on his toe.

A few clouds passed the sun sending occasional shadows on the ground, shading the travelers climbing the side of one of the Ueno basin mountains. They had walked a good length and exchanged a few words every now and then, some regarding the view, the other regarding the weather, as the rock walls had started to grow around them and the forest thinning along the sides of the road.

"Houou-san", Yasura began as she stopped next to a cluster of trees, glancing on the other side of the road and over the edge at the setting sun and the valley below, "this is where I bid you farewell."

The ninja turned around, having walked in front of her, and looked at her baffled.

"Here?"

"Hai, the path to my house starts from there," the lady said, nodding towards the trees.

The Phoenix-ninja glanced quickly at the woods, noticing an old, worn gate among it.

"I see."

"I doubt, Shinobi-san, but thank you for your company. I have enjoyed my time with you. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"Likewise, Yasura-san, and no, you have done enough for me. Are you sure you're fine from here on? I cannot see the lights of your house."

"I'm sure. As soon as I'm through that gate, nothing can harm me. I'll be fine, do not worry."

"Ah, I'm not worrying, just thinking aloud."

"Sure," Yasura chuckled smiling. She bowed to the Maniwa ninja and walked to the edge of the trees. Looking over her shoulder at the man, she spoke: "I know what you said, Houou, but I'll find something to repay you with."

The Maniwa Ninja Corps head bowed back.

"You do not need to. You saved me, I saved you; we're even."

"Still, I feel like I should do something… Well, enough of that. You are always welcome to visit me, Shinobi-san."

"And if you're ever down in Iga, and the Maniwa village is still standing, the gate is open to you."

"Arigato."

Yasura waved her hand and entered the forest the evening sun playing with her silky black hair. Houou nodded and watched her disappear through the gate, her hand leaving it slightly ajar.

He chuckled. Glancing one last time at the worn-out gate colored red by the setting sun, the Phoenix-ninja dashed towards the place he called home.

* * *

Houou ran silently through the dark woods. The night had already arrived by the time he had made it into the vicinity of the village. Worrying of what had happened while he had been away, he darted down the trail to the front gate of the village.

The ninja halted on his tracks and dodged the thrown weapon. Flicking a kunai back at his attacker, The Bird Squad leader heard a yelp.

A small person jumped from the trees landing right on the middle of the path, taking a stance before exclaiming: "H-Houou-sama!"

"Ah, Pengin."

The boy ran to the older man face beaming with joy.

"Houou-sama! You're a-alright!"

"Hai, how's the village?"

"All o-okay. Oh? Oi oi oi! G-gomenasai, H-Houou-sama!" The penguin-clothed boy stuttered before starting to shake wildly. "I t-thought you were an a-attacker, s-so I…!"

"It is fine, Pengin. You did well, where's the sword?"

"I-in the v-village. I t-tried to find you, H-Houou-sama, but t-the fight was already o-over when I a-arrived…"

The Phoenix-ninja patted the child's head smiling. "Like I said, it's fine. Let's go, I'm hungry."

"H-hai!"

The two walked to the village quietly, trying to avoid waking anyone up. Pengin slid the door to the Maniwa heads house aside and went to fetch something to eat. Houou stepped inside and left the door open for the moonlight to get in. He sat down and stretched yawning -the wound didn't bother him anymore.

"H-Houou-sama, h-here," the small boy said entering the room and placing the plate of cold yakitoris on the table, "I-I'll fetch something t-to drink…"

"Sure," The man answered picking up one of the chicken-skewers and devouring it in one gulp.

He tossed the stick aside not minding where it landed, and went for another as a crash caught his attention. Getting to his feet, he pushed the side door open.

"Pengin?"

"I-In here! H-hurry!"

Houou ran through the corridor and into the kitchen his hand grabbing a kunai from its holster.

The sight inside astonished the Phoenix-ninja: a shocked Pengin stood by the large sake bottles –one broken by his feet-, and on the other side of the room, by the second doorway, Koumori was snickering with a half-eaten dango perched between his teeth.

"Oi, what's with the shouting?" A voice called from behind the Bat-ninja.

"I don't know, I just came to get a late-night snack, but Pengin and Houou-sama are quite the sight!" Koumori laughed swallowing the rest of his food.

"Eh?" The other man mumbled stopping by the doorway, looking into the kitchen.

"K-Koumori-sama?! C-Chouchou-sama?! Y-You're….!" Pengin stuttered pointing at the two other Maniwa Ninja Corps heads.

"Alive. How?" Houou asked stepping into the room and turning to face the two his kunai still at hand, hidden behind his back.

"No idea. Were we dead?" The dark-clothed ninja asked from the other.

Chouchou shrugged. "You were, and I think I was too, as well as Kamakiri, Kuizame and Shirasagi. But now they're all in the Westside room with the rest."

"B-but…!"

"I don't believe it," the Bird Squad leader muttered and pushed past the two men and into the corridor and down it towards the room, where Chouchou said the other heads would be.

"W-Wait…!" The penguin-clothed boy said and followed the older ninja.

Houou slid the door open and stepped in Pengin right behind him. All gazes turned to the two.

"Konbanwa," they all said and bowed slightly.

The Phoenix-ninja rubbed his eyes disbelievingly and shook his head, the kunai dropping to the tatami floor. He felt the boy next to him grab his clothes and hide between his tail-like cloth and legs.

"H-Houou-sama… I m-must b-be ha-ha-hallucina-a-ting…!"

"Then there's two of us, Pengin."

In front of them the other 8 Maniwa Ninja Corps heads sat in a circle around the heat stove, clearly having been casually chatting before Houou and Pengin had barged in. The room was lit with a few candles and the doors to the inner garden were open letting the pale moonlight illuminate the place.

"I can guarantee, Houou-sama," Kamakiri started, face firm as usual, "that we're no tricks of the mind."

"Yeah, we're here, all alive and breathing," Umigame chuckled tilting his cap upwards.

"U-Umigame-sama..!" Pengin stuttered and looked at his squad leader.

"Come here," the turtle-like ninja said and patted the place between him and Shirasagi.

The boy began shaking uncontrollably again and muttered to himself before making his way to the spot and sitting down. The green clothed man laughed and patted Pengin's head gently.

The boy grabbed his hand and brought it down in front of his face. He poked it a few times gaining a hearty laugh from the man and understanding smiles from Oshidori and Mitsubachi.

Pengin let go of the hand and turned his gaze to Shirasagi on his other side. The Bird Squad member tilted his head glancing at the small child beside him.

"ahead Go. rest the like solid am I."

The boy shook his head and said: "I b-believe…"

"Well, that's one out of two confirmed. How about you, Houou-sama?" Koumori said from behind the Phoenix-ninja, casually leaning against the doorframe.

The addressed man folded his arms.

"Can you tell me how?"

The 10 heads looked at each other -Chouchou having returned from the kitchen with a jug of water and cups, and was now sitting between Oshidori and Kamakiri- before they all looked back at their regional leader shrugging. The Maniwa Corps leader sighed and sat down, his right hand climbing to rub the bound wound.

"Are you alright, Houou-sama?" Oshidori asked, noticing the blood stains on his outfit.

"Hai, it's healed already thanks to- - Stupid me."

"Huh?" Koumori mumbled arching an eyebrow as he sat down to his previous seat. The other ninjas shared his expression and bafflement.

A chuckle rose from the Bird Squad leader's throat turning into a deep laugh after leaving his lips. He brought a hand to his peak-like cap and ran it along its surface, shuffling his white hair, his chest rising with the intakes of breath and outbursts of laughter.

"H-Houou-sama…" Pengin voiced his share of the confusion.

"You know, I would've done pretty much anything to get you all back, but in the end, I didn't need to do a thing!" The red and white clothed man laughed.

"H-Houou-sama…?"

"Oh, never mind. Main thing is we are all here and the Dokutou Mekki is in our possession: now we have a bargaining chip against the Strategian-dono."

"I see your point in that, and with the Mekki we can get the fix of the other swords, but what were you going to say?" Kawauso, the Beast Squad leader, asked.

"Yeah, Houou-sama. Thanks to _who_?" Mitsubachi piped in pouring a cup of water before gulping it down.

"Ah, a… _friend_, I could say. Oshidori, Kyouken, ladies as you are, mind of telling me what would be a suitable gift for one?"

The women exchanged glances.

"Uh, clothes?" Kyouken answered.

"Jewelry," Oshidori said blankly.

"I see, I see… Then, what would be a suitable gift for a Shinigami? I'm asking from everyone."

All of the ninjas exchanged looks.

"Head of your enemy?" Kamakiri suggested.

"Maybe, but I don't think she has enemies. Else?" Houou stated pondering.

Shirasagi muttered: "?card you-thank a Maybe"

"Offerings at the shrine?" Mitsubachi said pouring another cup of water, just getting it snatched from his hands by Chouchou.

"Why does it even matter?" Kuizame shot in. "It has nothing to do with the Deviant Blades. Besides, kamis don't exist."

"A moment before I would've agreed with you, Kuizame, but the fact that you are all here, _alive_, made me a believer," the Phoenix-ninja stated smirking, "unless you have a better explanation."

"Nope."

"I thought so. But you're right, this can be figured out later, now we must focus on the swords. Kawauso, think you can figure out the Mekki's ability?"

"Hai, but mind of telling me, Houou-sama, why do you have my left arm when I'm possessing both of mine?"

The Bird Squad leader lifted his arm and looked at it. Koumori peeked over the regional leader's shoulder and yelped.

"That is Kawauso-san's arm!"

"Yare yare… Now can you see, Kuizame? There is a bigger power in play."

The blond long-haired man nodded, unable to form a sentence.

"So, thinking for a gift to this Shinigami is still the top thing on our to-do-list," Chouchou stated scratching the back of his head.

"I'd vote for something pretty," Kyouken said grinning, "like a kimono or a fan or a sash."

"Yeah, but it still doesn't explain why Houou-sama has my arm!" Kawauso exclaimed wailing his hands up and down.

"Well," Houou chuckled looking out through the open doors, "whatever it is we end up giving, it should not be red and green colored."

"You purposely avoid answering me, don't you?"

"Hai."

A joyful laughter filled the room and escaped into the night air, making the closest residents of the Maniwa Ninja Corps heads' house pull their blankets over their heads, and mutter silent curses for waking them up in the middle of the night –though it was something they should've gotten used to already.

* * *

_**AN: Vocabulary:**__**  
**__**Hai= yes**__**  
**__**-san= polite suffix **__**  
**__**Otoko-san= Mister**__**  
**__**Josei-san= Miss/Madam**__**  
**__**Shinobi= ninja**__**  
**__**Yare yare= *sigh***__**  
**__**-dono= more polite than -san, a rarer suffix (used in the Anime)**__**  
**__**Youkai= a demon/monster/evil spirit**__**  
**__**Shinigami= God of death (Japanese mythology)**__**  
**__**Kami= a god**__**  
**__**Gomenasai/Sumimasen= sorry**__**  
**__**Arigato= thank you**__**  
**__**Kunai= a throwing knife**__**  
**__**-sama= very very polite and respectful suffix**__**  
**__**Yakitori= a Japanese dish made of chicken**__**  
**__**Dango= a Japanese dessert made of rice wheat (Maniwa Houou eats these in ep. 5)  
**__**Konbanwa= Good evening  
**__**(That should be all)**_

_**AN: As my computer lacks the correct letter for writing the names correctly (the o with the line on it), I have used the way the letter is said (as in -ou-) instead. ( The same the Fanfiction site uses)**_

_**Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it, please, reviews, comments, ideas and requests are all welcome!**_


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